SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP

Some of you might know that I have booked a Mediterranean cruise for this September. I am not writing this post to rub this in, but this information is pertinent background information for this post. This cruise is a 12-Night cruise and we are extending our trip by staying overnight in Barcelona and Venice before and after the cruise. The total trip will be about 16 days.
For anyone that has not been on a cruise, you have to (or at least I have to) have a daytime outfit and then my evening outfit (not to mention the coordinating shoes). You are supposed to dress up for dinner plus there are a couple of formal nights. I am not the lightest of packers and therefore will require a significant amount of luggage.
Up until now I have still been using my mission luggage. I'll let you do the math, but I have been home for "a couple of years " and it is pretty worn out. I drug that stuff on and off of buses/down cobblestone streets & cement stairs in Brazil, taken it on several cruises, back to Brazil and all over the US. It has served me well, but I have decided that it is time for new luggage and that I deserve that.
WOW! Who knew there were soooooo many options out there??? I spent over 5 hours shopping for luggage last Saturday. I think that I saw every piece of luggage in the Salt Lake Valley.
Anyone who knows me really well, knows that I struggle with decisions. Give me 3 options and I do okay, but when there are hundreds to choose from, I struggle.
Not only are there different colors, sizes, styles etc, but then there is the choice of do you buy mid-line luggage that you will have to replace every 5 years or so or spend lots of money to get the "top of the line" stuff.
Well, after hours of shopping and opening every piece of luggage to check out the inside compartments, etc. I came up empty handed. I needed to go grocery shopping and stopped at Wal-mart. I wasn't planning on even looking for luggage there, but decided to anyway. Low and behold, I found just what I was looking for there. I found some Red Swiss Army Luggage. In addition to the 28", 25" & 21" uprights, I opted to get the matching backpack as well. I also found a fun black travel bag (purse) at Eddie Bauer.
So I am now ready to go try out my new luggage.
EUROPE HERE I COME!
I will take it on a test run when I go to Oklahoma to visit my sister and her family in April. Hopefully I chose well.

"Did I do that?"

This is a story about something that you only hear about, but I acutally witnessed it with my own eyes here in Salt Lake City.

Once a week or so, a group of us from work go to lunch together. We call these "lunch bus adventures." (We don't actually have a bus, but that would be cool!)

So the "lunch bus" was heading down the street on the way to Cafe Rio when a white pickup truck up ahead begins to pull off the road. It appears that the truck has something hanging out of the door that is dragging or something. As we get closer and are about to pass the truck we see the driver just put his head in his hands, as if to say, "I can't believe what I just did!" This is when we all realize that the gas pump & hose is hanging out of his gas tank. We were laughing so hard.

As we returned to the office we noticed that, sure enough, pump #12 at the Holiday Oil/Sinclair station had no pump. Oooooopps!

That would certainly ruin your day. The best/or worst part is that it was a company vehicle. That is going to be a fun story to share with your boss!

So, now the question is......do you go back to the gas station and walk in holding the hose to admit what you did and return the hose, or try to ditch it in a dumpster or something knowing full well that gas stations have some seriously sophisticated surveillance going on and they will find you?? Wow, I am just glad that wasn't me.

STAMPING OUT "VD"

Heeee-larious! I was listening to the radio a couple of days again and Tony Tuscano, a movie critic, was on talking about some upcoming films. They got on the topic of a couple of the chic flick movies that will be coming out just in time for Valentine's Day, etc. when all of a sudden he says, "I am starting a crusade to stamp out VD." I must say that the first thing that came to mind was a certain STD, but after a minute or two I realized he was talking about Valentine's Day. Maybe it was just the mood I was in or something, but I laughed my head off.

Some of you out there reading this might LOVE (no pun intended) February 14th, but for others of us.....not so much.

In the world of singles, it is a SAD (Single Awareness Day) holiday. There is nothing inherently wrong with this day, but I don't like being reminded that for the 32nd year in a row I don't have a boy to buy me flowers, take me to dinner, or even simply give me kiss or even one made of chocolate. I am reminded enough as it is, I don't need a day set aside specifically to highlight this fact.

Here's hoping that one day, I will have reason to be a fan of this holiday!
(oooo, I do love those conversation hearts though.....yummy!) Ü

THE ANNUAL "7-11" GAME

For as long as I can remember, the "7-11" game has been an interrgral part of Christmas for the Jordan family. My sisters and I are the only grandchildren on my dad's side of the family. We used to spend Christmas Eve with my mom's family and go visit my dad's parents on Christmas day. On Christmas when we would go visit G&G Jordan we would always play the 7- 11 game.
Over the years, the rules have changed a bit and the presents have improved, but here is the idea........
For example you decide how many presents per person you will have (10 people x 3 presents each = 30 presents). We usually have everyone contribute at least a couple of the presents for a couple of reasons. There will be surprises in there for everyone and not just one person has to pay for all of the presents.
All the presents are wrapped and we let the kids divide them into piles and assign a pile to each person.
Then we all sit in a circle with our presents in front of us. You get 2 dice (or di, is that how you spell dice, plural?) and take turns rolling. You want to roll a "7" or "11" (if you want to move it along a little faster, you can also count doubles). When the right number is rolled, that person can either open one of the presents in front of them or trade one of their presents with someone else. (If you give an unopened present to someone else, they don't get to open it, they have to wait until they roll the right number). Once all of the presents have been opened, a timer is set and you keep going until the time runs out and at that point you get what you have in front of you.
This year our prizes ranged from gifts cards (itunes, restaurants, etc) to DVD's, to coloring books & action figures for the kids.
It is lots of fun! Something that we all look forward to each year.

THE HOLIDAYS WITH FAM & FRIENDS

Christmas was great! I left for Richfield on Saturday Dec. 22 to stay with the folks. We didn't do much, but got in alot of R&R. We played some games, did 2 puzzles, read books, watched some TV, went to church, etc.

Christmas is a lot different when no children are around. We slept in on Christmas morning, woke up and had a nice breakfast, then got around to opening gifts around noon. I scored big time with presents including a couple new coats, 2 new pairs of gloves, slippers, 6 new perfumes, a new stainless steel toaster.

On the 26th, I stayed in Richfield while my parents traveled to SLC to pick up my sister Laura and her 3 kids (Albrechts) who had just flown in from Oklahoma. My youngest sister, Debra, and her husband arrived that evening in Richfield and my parents and the Albrechts got arrived around 8:30, just in time for all of the kids to go to bed.

We had a nice day on Thursday and then on Friday the Maddocks (my oldest sister and her family) showed up in Richfield. (They were supposed to come a day earlier, but the kids were not feeling well). We played the "7-11 game" (see 7-11 game post), always a highlight, decorated sugar cookies.

We watched the movie "STARDUST" which I thought was a huge waste of time!!! It will probably make my "worst movies list." VERY STRANGE in my opinion. Everyone else really liked it. "To each their own."

I knitted a couple of scarfs for me and then one or two of my nieces. They turned out very cute if I do say so myself.

Ryan (Debra's husband) left on Friday to go see his brother before he left town, but Debra stayed and drove back with my on Sunday.

While in Richfield I was able to go to lunch with 2 friends from high school. We had a great time catching up. We also had a girls night out with my mom and the sisters. We left Tom (Angela's husband & grandpa home with all the kids and we left for Winger's where we had a nice meal and enjoyed some asphalt pie.

My parents and the Albrechts came to SLC on New Years Day. We all went bowling (which seems to have become an entertainment trend with my family). We had a great time and then we had a huge slumber party here at my condo. It was a packed house. We slept 7 people in my small little house. Then the Albrechts flew home Wednesday morning and it was back to real life for the rest of us.

Here's to a fabulous 2008 for all of you!